


Furmiliar

by hllfire



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Cat Parents, Charles Xavier in a Wheelchair, Charles Xavier is a Sweetheart, Domestic Fluff, Erik Lehnsherr Has a Crush, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Neighbors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hllfire/pseuds/hllfire
Summary: Erik brings a stray cat home one day, and Charles doesn't expect he'll be raising it with his neighbor.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 22
Kudos: 85
Collections: Secret Mutant Madness 2020





	Furmiliar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsertSthMeaningful](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsertSthMeaningful/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [InsertSthMeaningful](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsertSthMeaningful/pseuds/InsertSthMeaningful) in the [secret_mutant_madness_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/secret_mutant_madness_2020) collection. 



> I'm so sorry for the title, I had no idea what to put so of course I went with cat puns. Dear prompter I swear there are no cat puns involved in the actual fic and I hope it meets your standards <3
> 
> **Prompt:**
> 
> Charles and Erik adopt a stray cat - up to you whether they're already in a relationship or if the cat factors into their becoming an item. Also, the cat's favourite place is Charles' lap since it's almost always available and fitted out with a blanket.

Charles lived on the ground floor of a two story house, sharing the space with his upstairs neighbor Erik Lehnsherr. The landlord had done modifications to the house, taking the indoor stairs away and separating the ground floor from the first floor, transforming it into two different spaces that could be rented separately. Charles had found it weird at first, especially since the space wasn't all that big, but it was near his work and, from all the houses he had looked before, it was one of the few that would allow him to move freely with his chair without much trouble.

Besides, it had a garden that reminded Charles of his old garden in his parents' house, which would be a perfect place for him to spend time when he had some to spare.

The landlord had told him that the man who was renting the upstairs part of the house was a good neighbor, that no one had ever complained about him in the neighborhood, and that he wouldn't have to worry too much about noise or anything, which was another good point for him to move in. Turned out that Erik really wasn't a nuisance, and Charles would give him a warm smile every time they left for work at the same time in the mornings. Charles guessed that the fact that Erik was an Adonis of a man also helped him not to mind his upstairs neighbor.

It became customary to talk to each other whenever they were outside. Sometimes, Charles would hang around the garden with a book in hands and Erik would lean against his window on the first floor and call out for him, asking about what he was reading, the conversation going on for hours sometimes. Or maybe Erik would be watering the plants and Charles would come over with a cup of iced tea for him when it was too hot, once again prompting conversation. Charles couldn't tell for sure, but he guessed he could consider Erik a friend already.

One day, Charles was in the garden, his glasses on his face as he looked at some of the papers that needed grading, deciding to do it outside to escape the furnace that his house would become as it was the middle of summer, when Erik arrived home, the front gate making its familiar rusty noise on its hinges whenever someone opened it. Charles' eyes looked up from his papers to the man walking in long strides to get to the stairs that led to his front door, seeing him carrying his suit jacket in his arms instead of having it on, and offering Erik a smile.

"Do you know any pet stores nearby?"

The question made Charles frown, watching as Erik changed his path to meet Charles at the garden, fixing his suit jacket on his arms as he cradled it like he was holding a baby. It was only when he got closer that Charles heard a soft and weak meow coming from the bundle of fabric. He leaned to look closer at what Erik was carrying, seeing Erik lower his arms for Charles to see the grey kitty that seemed very young, its head moving around to look at its surroundings until it meowed again.

"Oh." Charles said for a moment, his hand moving up to scratch the small kitty's head.

"I found him abandoned in a box in the middle of the street on my way here." Erik quickly explained, looking down at the animal with some pity in his eyes. "Couldn't just let him there."

"Oh, the poor thing." Charles  _ tsked _ for a moment, looking at the kitty with pity as well as it meowed once more, probably scared. "Are you keeping him?"

"No, I just brought him home so I could take it from the streets. I think it needs some food and water. I'll find someone to adopt him afterwards." Charles nodded at that, seeing Erik look at him sheepishly. That was an expression Charles hadn't seen before on him. "Could you keep an eye on him while I go out and buy the food? I'll have to search for the pet stores..."

"Of course!"

Charles watched as Erik left again after the cat drank some water, looking down at his lap where the cat was now laying, on top of the blanket he would usually put over it when he was outside, Erik's jacket now discarded for a washing. He scratched the animal's head for a moment more, smiling down at it and watching its eyes move up to him. They were of a very clear blue, and Charles noticed suddenly that they seemed slightly cross-eyed.

"You are very adorable." Charles said to the cat, who seemed to be paying attention to him. The cat meowed back, making Charles chuckle. "You're very welcome."

Two weeks later, the cat was still around. Erik hadn't found anyone who wanted it yet, and Charles watched amusedly as both the cat — affectionately named Piper after he tried to climb the downpipe that drained the rain water from the roof of the house — and Erik got attached to each other. Some mornings, Erik would have to go back inside multiple times to put Piper back before he could go through the front gate and close it before the cat escaped, and Charles was more than alright to arrive late for his classes if it meant watching that scene unfold.

"He's fast." Erik had said once, after he managed to close the gate, Piper on the other side screaming bloody murder for Erik to open it again in his high pitched meowns.

"He's also very small, and yet he seems to catch up to you anyway."

"Shut up, Charles." there was always amusement in Erik's voice at that.

Charles also wouldn't escape from the cat's attention, the little thing getting used to being on his lap at all times, and soon Charles went from having a blanket over his legs sometimes to having it all the time at home so Piper could lay down on it and sleep. Charles would always feel his purrs against his hand whenever he laid on Charles' lap, and it was always enough to bring Charles' mood up immediately.

Piper also became a good excuse for Erik and Charles to talk more. They had stayed outside for hours one night, sitting at the garden as Charles used his laser pointer to make Piper jump at the wall as he tried to get the red dot, making both men deeply entertained as they talked about the animals they had in their lives until the conversation shifted into their lives in general. When Piper got tired of trying to get the red dot with no success and climbed onto Charles' lap to receive love and for a well deserved rest, they stayed there, still talking.

Charles had gone home later than he should've had that night, Piper still laying on his legs as he entered his house with a smile on his lips.

It took a month passing for Erik to give up on the idea that he would give Piper away. The cat had already become too attached to him — and him to the cat — for him to let someone adopt Piper. Besides, Charles had asked him not to do it, since he considered Piper as his too at that point. Suddenly, Charles found himself raising the kitten with Erik, and he couldn't find it in himself to complain about it.

The spaced out talks they had once in a while became an everyday thing, and suddenly Charles' weekends had become the time where he would enjoy some time with Erik and their cat if there wasn't anything else he absolutely needed to do. 

In the month Piper had been in their lives, Charles had learned more about Erik, just like Erik had learned more about Charles in return, and he could feel slowly the attraction he already had for Erik since they first met growing slowly, which he always ignored as best as he could. And yet, when he watched Erik in his kitchen and making them lunch on a Sunday, as Piper laid on his lap, he couldn't help the nice feeling that spread through his chest.

Three months after Piper becoming theirs, Charles and Erik had a minor heart attack when they couldn't find the cat anywhere in the house or the garden, hours later hearing soft and apparently scared meowing coming from the roof of the house. They widened their eyes at that, looking at each other.

"I think he finally managed to climb the downpipe..." Charles said. By his side, Erik grunted, looking almost defeated.

"Scheiße."

Erik ended up climbing there with a lot of difficulty, finding the lost cat and helping it to go down, the sly thing bolting to Charles immediately after he was safely on the ground, jumping on Charles' lap and standing up there, front paws on Charles' chest as he screamed his complaints to the man. 

"What are you screaming about, you rascal? You're the one who climbed on the roof and got stuck!" Piper meowed again, bumping his head on Charles' chin and making Charles snort at the cat.

"Uh, Charles?" Erik called out from the roof, making Charles look up at him. "I don't think I can get down."

Charles watched with both amusement and fear for Erik as the firemen arrived to help him out of the roof, covering his mouth not to laugh as Erik got down with an annoyed face after explaining he had gotten there to take the cat from the roof. When Erik was safely on the ground and the firemen had left, Charles wasn't able to hold back the giant amused smile as Piper purred and rubbed himself against Erik's legs.

"Okay, that's it." Erik said, picking Piper up and holding him over his shoulder as the cat didn't have time to react. "You're staying locked in my house for the rest of the day so you don't get any new ideas."

As if knowing what was happening, Piper gave Erik a soft and dramatic meow, pleading.

"That means nothing to me."

Charles truly couldn't stop laughing after that.

"We have to find someone to stay with Piper next month." Erik said during dinner one night, eyes falling to the grey fluffy cat, sitting on the ground by his chair, staring at Erik and waiting for the man to throw him some food, sometimes letting a soft sound out, trying to win Erik over.

"Why's that?" Charles asked, eyes staring at the cat as well, watching amusedly as he raised one paw to touch Erik's leg to beg for some of his dinner.

"December. Holidays are coming and I'll spend a good part of next month with my family in Germany." Erik shrugged, eyes going to Charles now, ignoring the begging cat on the floor. "I suppose you're going to see your family as well?"

"Oh, no. I'm staying here." Erik frowned at him, making Charles smile sheepishly. "I don't see my family for the holidays. Or in general..."

"I thought you'd be with your sister. You told me you two are close." Charles shook his head, sighing, seeing Erik's frown still there.

On the ground, Piper left Erik to try and beg Charles for food or for his lap. Charles took a moment to stop the cat, trying to make him understand he couldn't be on Charles' lap during his meals.

"We are but Raven is far away this year. She usually comes to visit during Christmas, but this year she'll be with her wife's family." Charles put more of his food in his mouth, ignoring the looks in Erik's face. "But anyway, I can stay with Piper. Just make sure you close your door and windows so he doesn't get into your house. I won't be able to take him out of there if he does."

Piper ended up being the best company Charles could hope for during the holidays. It had started snowing so Piper wasn't leaving Charles' house much, although some days he would scream — and he loved to scream for attention — for Charles to let him out.

"It's snowing, Peeps." Charles would argue. Piper only complained more, as if calling out Charles' betrayal for locking him up. "Alright, you want to go out in the snow? It's your choice."

Charles had opened the door then, Piper sprinting out only to make a displeased noise and bolt back inside the house quickly. He had tried to attack the snow after, much to Charles' amusement.

Some days, Charles would send pictures and videos of Piper to Erik, their talks never stopping even if Erik was with his family for Hanukkah and New Years in Germany, and the other man would always ask about how him and Piper were doing. Charles always smiled whenever Erik sent him a good morning text, that familiar warmth that accompanied anything having to do with Erik filling his chest.

The days went by lazily, with Charles resting on his break from his classes and taking this time to do anything not related with his work, going out to local bookstores one day and buying himself some books that he would only read on a break like that and gifting himself with the materials for a good hot chocolate. Every night, Charles would stay by the fireplace, his book and hot chocolate in hands as Piper laid cozily on his lap to get warm.

On Christmas day, Charles gave Piper a small squeaky toy for him to play with and a new blanket for him to lay down. The cat seemed very pleased with it, and Charles had a good laugh when he saw him sleeping, lying face down on the new fluffy blanket.

Erik came back in the first week of January, and Piper was the first one to notice his arrival, strutting towards the door and meowing softly, clawing at the door for Charles to let him out. When Charles did, expecting the cat to run back inside once he felt the snow again, he saw as Piper sprinted through the white blanket covering the ground and jumped up so Erik would hold him, starting to meow loudly at Erik.

Erik chuckled, letting go of his baggage to hold the cat, and Charles smiled at them.

"It's good to see you too, you scoundrel." Piper meowed again, rubbing his head against Erik's cheek and making him chuckle. Erik's eyes finally turned to Charles. "Good seeing you too."

"How was the travel?"

"Good. Probably ate more latkes than I should've during Hanukkah, and my mother decided that I was  _ too thin _ so she stuffed me with food, but it's nothing I can actually complain about." Charles chuckled at that, seeing an easy smile on Erik's lips. "Since we're already here, can I come in? I have gifts for both of you."

For Piper, Erik had brought a new toy filled with catnip. The cat took it immediately, rubbing himself against the toy and tossing it around, making both Charles and Erik snort at him as he enjoyed the gift. For Charles, Erik took out a book from the bag, making Charles frown slightly.

"It's not wrapped, my mother didn't have any wrapping paper around the house unfortunately. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't."

Charles took the book in hands, his eyes shining as he noticed it was an old and apparently well read copy of  _ The Once and Future King. _ At the expression on his face, Erik smiled victoriously.

"Where did you get this? It's the same edition I used to have!"

"I had it, my mom kept it for me." Erik shrugged. "I remembered we talked about it and that you were sad you lost your copy years ago, so I thought you'd like it."

"Oh, I love it! Thank you, Erik!" Charles smile died down for a second, his eyes going to Erik's face. Erik frowned at the change in his eyes. "I didn't get you anything…"

"Don't worry about it. I didn't give you this expecting something back." Erik grinned then, making Charles raise an eyebrow at him. As much as Erik was grinning, there was an slight uncertainty to his eyes. "But, if you want to give me something back, I heard that theres a nice restaurant nearby… We could go for dinner tomorrow."

Charles stopped, looking at the other man for a moment before letting out a soft  _ oh _ through his mouth.

"I think that's a lovely idea…"

One year after Piper came into their lives, Charles was laying on the his bed, Erik's old copy of  _ The Once and Future King _ on his hand as the cat laid on his lap, sleeping peacefully. By Charles' side, head resting on his chest, Erik slept as well, Charles' hand on his hair, his fingers moving softly through the short strands as he tried not to wake Erik up.

He saw as Piper woke up, yawning and stretching his body before looking up at Charles, who looked back at the cat with a smile. Piper climbed up a little on him, reaching to place a lick at Charles' nose that made the man chuckle and put the book down to scratch Piper's head.

The cat meowed in protest when Charles stopped, making Charles make shushing sounds at him.

"You'll wake up Erik, Peeps." Charles whispered.

Piper only gave Charles a look before plopping himself to the side, his fluff right on Erik's face, waking the other man up immediately as he tried to spit the cat fur that had gone into his mouth. When Erik's head was out of the way, Piper slid down Charles' body to the mattress, letting out another protest sound as Erik tried to understand what had just happened. 

"I thought I was going to suffocate in cat fur for a moment." Erik complained, voice rough from sleep. Piper just rolled around once, looking very cuddly, trying to pretend he didn't do anything.

"I think he doesn't like that you get more attention from me than he does now." Charles chuckled at that, picking the cat up to let him lay on his chest, feeling Piper purr. "Aren't you a jealous thing?"

Piper made a soft sound in answer, making both him and Erik smile.

"He's the one on your lap all the time."

"But now he has to share." Erik smiled proudly at it, making Charles snort.

"Can you make him share space on your chest as well right now? I was there first."

Piper complained for a moment as he was pushed slightly to the side so there was space for Erik's head to rest there, feeling Erik place a kiss to his chest as he made himself comfortable. The cat moved one of its paws to Erik's face, keeping it there and making the man chuckle. Charles smiled down at them both, saving that small moment in his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kuddos are more than appreciated and keeps an author's soul alive. Even a "❤️" or "+kuddos" are valid and will make me happy. ❤️
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://hellfre.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/hllfire)!


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